Ravenswood Steelworker Union Hierarchy Faces Federal Charges in Wake of Strike Intimidation

Union officials threaten workers who refused to abandon their jobs

Ravenswood, WV (May 9, 2013) – Four Constellium Rolled Products workers have filed federal charges against a local Steelworker union in the wake of last summer's union-instigated strike against the company.

With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, the Constellium employees filed the unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

The four workers resigned their union membership in the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 5668 union before they continued to work during the strike. Under federal law, workers who refrain from union membership are exempt from the union hierarchy's constitution and bylaws and thus cannot be disciplined for continuing to work during a union boss-ordered strike.

In late March, the four workers received threatening letters from USW Local 5668 union officials stating that the union hierarchy intends to levy retaliatory strike fines against the workers at "the maximum penalty allowed." Union officials also stated that the workers will be placed "at the bottom of the seniority list," which is a clear violation of federal labor law.

Click here to read the full release.

Worker Forces Elevator Union Bosses to Settle Federal Charge and Drop Retaliatory $20,000 Fine

Union officials demanded full-dues-payment and union membership in violation of Supreme Court precedents

Chicago, IL (October 24, 2012) – A former Barnard/Imperial Elevator employee has won a settlement from a local union after union officials demanded he pay about $20,000 for working at a non-union workplace.

With free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, Robert Fierke filed a federal charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Chicago after union officials levied approximately $20,000 of fines against him.

Fierke worked for Barnard/Imperial Elevator before the company went bankrupt. International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 2 union bosses enjoyed monopoly bargaining privileges over the workplace. IUEC union officials never informed workers, including Fierke, of their right to refrain from full-dues-paying union membership as upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Foundation-won Communications Workers v. Beck case.

Click here to read the full release.

Worker Advocate Testifies Before Congress Regarding Obama Big Labor Paybacks

Foundation staff attorney helps expose out of control Obama Labor Board

Washington, DC (July 25, 2012) – This morning, National Right to Work Foundation staff attorney William Messenger is testifying before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

The subcommittee, which is chaired by Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), is holding the hearing entitled "Examining Proposals to Strengthen the National Labor Relations Act." The hearing is located in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building and is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. EDT.

Update: A transcript of Messenger's testimony can be viewed here (pdf).

Click here to read the full release.

AT&T Workers Petition U.S. Supreme Court to Overturn Union Exemption from Identity Theft Laws

Judge ruled that North Carolina identity protections don’t apply to union bosses who retaliated against nonmembers by publicly posting social security numbers

Washington, DC (July 19, 2012) – With the help of National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, a group of 13 North Carolina-based AT&T (NYSE: T) employees is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review an identity theft case involving federal preemption.

In the fall of 2007, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 3602 union president John Glenn maliciously posted the names and social security numbers of 33 AT&T employees on a publicly accessible bulletin board at the company's facility in Burlington, N.C.

All the employees whose names and personal information were posted in a hallway close to the building entrance, accessible to employees and nonemployees alike, had exercised their freedom under the state's Right to Work law to resign from CWA union membership and cease paying union dues.

Click here to read the full release.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Workers West organizers in Orange County, California are turning up the heat on healthcare workers who want nothing to do with the union.

SEIU officials have been trying to unionize workers at Chapman Medical Center through a backroom deal known as a "neutrality agreement" designed to grease the skids for workers to be forced into union ranks.

The agreement was anything but "neutral:" Company officials granted union operatives access to company facilities to conduct a coercive "card check" organizing campaign in which union organizers pressure workers to fill out cards that count as votes for union control of the workplace. Meanwhile, Chapman waived the right to have a federally-supervised secret ballot election to determine whether employees really wish to be unionized.

SEIU organizers then resorted to harassing late night phone calls, blocking workers' driveways while they were heading to work, bribing workers with food to sign "cards" that would later count as "votes," and stalking workers.

Now, SEIU organizers are sneaking in without identification through the back door of the medical center's jam-packed cafeteria and refused to leave when approached by hospital administration, human resources, and even workers.

Eventually workers had to resort to calling the police to remove the unwanted SEIU militants from their workplace.

"This is just getting out of hand," one concerned worker told the National Right to Work Foundation.

If you are experiencing union intimation, harassment, or violence at the hands of union organizers or union officials, contact the National Right to Work Foundation for help right away.

Latino Express Bus Drivers Tell Teamster Union Bosses to Hit the Road

School bus drivers desperately need Right to Work protections

Lyons, IL (April 26, 2012) – A large majority of Latino Express bus drivers in Lyons, Illinois have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Chicago for a secret-ballot election to remove an unwanted local Teamster union hierarchy from their workplace.

Led by Ramiro Lopez, who learned about his legal rights from the National Right to Work Foundation, over 50 of the 76 total drivers signed the petition.

Teamster Local 777 seized monopoly bargaining control over the workplace a year ago. However, Teamster union bosses have yet to negotiate a contract with Latino Express, a conflict that has resulted in union legal accusations against the company and picketing of the workplace, alienating workers.

Meanwhile, Teamster union operatives have singled out workers who want nothing to do with the union hierarchy.

Read the entire release here.

The saga continues, as New York City Marriott officials are facing additional federal charges for trying to force workers to accept local union officials' unwanted "representation" and with it, the obligation of forced dues payments.

Last month, a group of SoHo Marriott workers targeted in a vicious campaign of intimidation and harassment by union organizers and company officials filed federal charges against Marriott and the union with free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation.

New York Hotel & Motel Trades Council Local 6 union organizers entered into a backroom deal (called a "neutrality agreement") with company officials. Of course, there is nothing "neutral" about the agreement, which allows union organizers unfettered access to the employees in order to install a union in the workplace while workers who wish to refrain from union affiliation are silenced with threats and punishment.

For example, Marriott worker Coralina Alcantara (who filed the latest around of charges against Marriott last week) and many of her colleagues are prohibited from meeting in the employee break room. Meanwhile, the company's lawyer has been interrogating Coralina and her colleagues and threatening them for wishing to remain free from union boss shackles.

It should come to no surprise that the workers are now unanimously opposed to the union officials' presence in the workplace. The same union officials have used video cameras in employee changing rooms, accessed employee lockers, handled employees' personal possessions, and resorted to verbal abuse against workers. One union official even took photographs of a female employee without her consent while she was changing her uniform in an employee changing room. As reported in the New York Post last month:

Workers at a downtown hotel charge that union goons resorted to outrageous tactics to browbeat them into joining their ranks — going so far as to photograph a female staffer as she changed clothes in an employee locker room, apparently to blackmail her.

"I was wearing my uniform pants and my bra and holding my shirt to put it on when they started snapping pictures," front-desk worker Gisel Rodriguez, 28, recalled of the alleged sneak attack at the SoHo Courtyard Marriott in December.

"I was furious, really didn't know what to do," she said. "They said, 'We're allowed to be here,' and clicked away."

Rodriguez said she believes the union reps wanted to use the photos "as blackmail, to get us to sign."

SEIU and Hospital Officials Hit With Federal Charges for Rigging Union Card Check 'Vote'

Union organizers enter into corrupt agreement with hospital to force healthcare workers into union ranks using coercive card check tactics

Orange, California (February 13, 2012) – A healthcare worker has filed federal charges against a major healthcare union and hospital officials for illegally rigging a union organizing "vote" and then forcing workers to accept an unwanted union in the workplace.

With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, Marlene Felter of Costa Mesa filed the charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Workers West union officials and Chapman Medical Center management entered into a backroom deal known as a so-called "neutrality agreement" designed to grease the skids for workers to be forced into union ranks.

In the agreement, company officials granted union operatives access to company facilities to conduct a coercive "card check" organizing campaign, and waived the right to have a federally-supervised secret ballot election to determine whether employees wished to be unionized. Union organizers frequently use "card check" organizing tactics to bribe, browbeat, or cajole workers into forced-union-dues payments against their will.

Read the entire press release here.

Hotel Officials, Union Bosses Hit With Multiple Federal Labor Board Charges for Abusive Organizing Tactics

Union organizers verbally abuse Marriott employees and spy on workers in changing rooms after striking backroom deal with company officials

New York, NY (January 24, 2012) – A group of New York City Marriott (NYSE: MAR) employees – acting on behalf of their coworkers – have filed federal charges against the company and a local union for workplace intimidation and harassment.

The three SoHo Marriott employees filed the charges at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation attorneys.

New York Hotel & Motel Trades Council Local 6 union organizers entered into a backroom deal with company officials that allows union organizers unfettered access to the employees in order to install a union in the workplace.

Abusing this privilege, union organizers are attempting to browbeat the workers into supporting the union through a prolonged campaign of intimidation and harassment. Meanwhile, company officials deny workers' attempts to meet on company grounds.

Union officials have used video cameras in employee changing rooms, accessed employee lockers and handled employees' personal possessions, and have even resorted to verbal abuse. Union officials even took photographs of a female employee without her consent while she was changing her uniform in an employee changing room.

Read the entire release here.